Upon receiving the Gail Guntermann Professional Development Fellowship and the Tia Tula Scholarship for Spanish Teachers, a week of my summer was spent collaborating with other Spanish Teachers from the U.S abroad. 10 teachers were selected from across the US and Canada for this program. During this week long experience we lived together, attended workshops and explored the city of Salamanca, Spain.

As a first generation college graduate I would’ve never imagined myself studying abroad in Spain, it had always been a dream. AZLA was able to make this dream come true through the Gail Guntermann Professional Development Fellowship.

During my time in Spain I was able to meet some amazing educators from across the United States. It was truly astonishing to collaborate and share ideas with such a distinguished group. During our workshops we were pleasantly greeted by the teachers and staff at Tia Tula Spanish School.

The school has agreements with different universities and students can earn European University Credits ECTS thanks to its courses. The University credits can be transferred to any college or university in the world. They also offer summer courses for high school students. I’m definitely going to take a group when possible. This would be a great opportunity for them to immerse themselves in the Spanish language and culture.

I am grateful for the experiences I shared with fellow educators during our time in Spain. We still keep in contact and are planning a few collaboration projects from our respective positions. This experience truly left me inspired to continue to grow as an educator not just for myself but also for my students, I can also inspire other students to believe that anything is possible. The possibilities are endless. I want to take this time to thank AZLA for their support.

Anaid Jordan Spanish Teacher at Pima Partnership Performing Arts High School Tucson, Arizona